Since the advent of the internet, the healthcare industry has been forced to embrace technology that is ever growing. The internet has cemented itself as a leading source of information about health (Berland GK et al., 2001). A survey done by Pew Research Center showed that of the 81% adults that use the internet, 59% of them searched for health information and about 30 % of them consulted online reviews or rankings of healthcare services or treatments (The Internet and Health, 2013). Hospitals are charged with the responsibility of communicating with the public to educate them on health and to tell them about their services. In a bid to meet this need, hospitals are largely turning to the internet by creating websites (Fulda & Kwasik, 2004). The websites are designed to help the hospitals as public marketing instruments and to improve the relationship between the clients and the hospitals. This, compounded with the knowledge that internet users have come to depend on hospital sponsored websites for information has made websites a very crucial part of any health institution (Llinás et al., 2008). To this extent, this paper will compare and contrast websites belonging to the following hospitals:
Good Samaritan Hospital and Health Center, Dayton, Ohio, OH
Albany Medical Center, Albany, N.Y.
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, OH.
|
Website Attribute |
Good Samaritan Hospital and Health Center, Dayton, Ohio. | Albany Medical Center, Albany, N.Y. | Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center | Christ Hospital, Cincinnati |
| Appearance Of Accessible Information. |
- Excellent blending thematic colors. -The font is legible. -The site lacks captivating graphics. -The site has excellent quality photographs, but they are too many. -The site looks simple |
-Excellent blending of thematic colors. -The fonts are small hence not well legible. -The site is cluttered with very many high-quality photos. -The use of graphics is good as it captures interest. -The site is not straightforward with links that must be clicked to pop up. |
-There is color overload with more than three colors used. -The text is legible -There is no attractive graphics present. - Good use of high-quality pictures, but again, they are too many and cluttered. -The site is straightforward and simple to use and access |
-There is a good use of color that blends well and sets the theme. -The text is rather small for the site but well balanced. -The site does not employ graphics meaningfully to help attract viewers. -There is no use of excellent photography. Only one small, unappealing picture is on the site. -The site is simple, and all the tabs are accessible. |
| Functionality of the Website. |
-All the links on the site are working well and are not broken. - The data was up to date, and no typos or grammatical errors were found. |
-All the links on the site are working well and are not broken. - The data was up to date, and no typos or grammatical errors were found. |
All the links on the site are working well and are not broken. -The data was up to date, and no typos or grammatical errors were found. |
-All the links on the site are working well and not broken. -The data was up to date, and no typos or grammatical errors were found. |
| Usability of the Website. |
-The site is simple with fast loading page links. -The site is well sized with minimal scrolling. The navigation bar is prominent, and there is consistency. |
-The site is not simple but has fast loading page links. -The site is well sized with minimal scrolling. The navigation bar is prominent, and there is consistency. |
-The site is simple with fast loading page links. -The site is well sized with minimal scrolling. The navigation bar is not prominent, and there is no consistency. |
-The site is simple with fast loading page links. -The site is well sized with minimal scrolling. The navigation bar is not prominent. |
| Depth of Information Available on Topics of Interest. | There is sufficient information on any queries made. |
-There is no information given on health conditions or expert services offered. -The site majors on the school. |
There is sufficient information on any queries made. | The site does not provide enough information on topics of interest asking that clients check back at a later date for updates |
| Visual Appeal To Patients From A Marketing Perspective | The site is efficient in the description of visual characteristics to patients from a marketing perspective. Important information regarding services is easily reachable. | There is the considerable availability of the description of visual characteristics to patients from a marketing perspective. However, there is laxity in the site regarding comprehensiveness in the information availability. | Very low visual appeal. The visual characteristics of the information that is prime for patients and other searchers are scanty and comparatively sketchy from a marketing perspective. | Reasonably impressive visual appeal for patient information. There is a good outline of the utilities available and they are structured in fairly modest color blends. However, the spectrum of information relevant to patients and other site users is not sufficiently broad. |
| Visual Appeal To Physicians From A Marketing Perspective . | There is a visible and clear tab that redirects someone to the physicians of the hospital. However, there is no clear outline of the physicians’ information and credentials from a marketing perspective. | The site has a link for one to view the physicians available. There are options for one to choose a physician. No elaborate visual appeal is directly reachable by persons searching the site. | A tab is available for one to view physicians and their credentials from a marketing perspective. However, there is no visual appeal of the physicians from a marketing view. | The site provides an option for someone to find physicians but no visual appeal for them nor their credentials. With a specific name of a certain physician, however, the site has a structure that grants one access. |
| Information attempted to find but could not locate. | Information about the eligibility for free treatment and checkups was scantily available. There is vagueness in the information that is presented in web searches regarding free treatment. | The website was not comprehensive about insurance provisions that are available. The search redirected me to irrelevant information regarding FAQs. | Very insufficient information about emergency services and other related provisions. | Information about blood donation programs and schedules was not available. |
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The above analysis has shown how important it is for a modern-day hospital to have a website that can attract an audience. The quality of the website is vital to the functioning of the hospital as research has proved that the internet influences choice of healthcare. It is therefore paramount for hospitals to have a commanding presence on the internet.
References
Albany Medical Center, Albany, N.Y. (Internet) Available at http://www.amc.edu/patient/index.cfm Accessed on 16/03/2018
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ (Internet) Available at https://www.bannerhealth.com/ Accessed on 16/03/2018
Berland GK, Elliott MN, Morales LS, Algazy JI, Kravitz RL, Broder MS, Kanouse DE, Muñoz JA, Puyol J, Lara M, Watkins KE, Yang H, McGlynn EA. (2001) Health Information on the Internet accessibility, Quality, and Readability in English and Spanish. JAMA. ; 285(20):2612–2621. doi:10.1001/jama.285.20.2612.
Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, OH. (Internet) Available at https://www.thechristhospital.com/ Accessed on 16/03/2018
Fulda, P. O., & Kwasik, H. (2004). Consumer health information provided by library and hospital Websites in the South Central Region. Journal of the Medical Library Association , 92 (3), 372–375.
Good Samaritan Hospital and Health Center, Dayton, Ohio, OH (Internet). Available at https://www.goodsamdayton.org/ Accessed on 16/03/2018
Llinás, G., Rodríguez-Iñesta, D., Mira, J. J., Lorenzo, S., & Aibar, C. (2008). A comparison of websites from Spanish, American and British hospitals. Methods of Information in Medicine , 47 (02), 124-130.
The Internet and Health (February 12, 2013) Pew research center. Available at http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/02/12/the-internet-and-health/ . Accessed on 16/03/2018
